News Release Archive

PREMIER/ENVIRONMENT--AFRICAN HERITAGE MONTH-- FEBRUARY 1996
A MESSAGE FROM PREMIER JOHN SAVAGE AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER
WAYNE ADAMS
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Heritage is what binds people together. History is the
collective lesson of a people's triumphs and troubles. At
its best, it can be a roadmap of past progress that can
speed up the journey toward a better tomorrow. African
Heritage Month, which begins February 1, should be more than
a time to appreciate the struggles and successes of
ancestors. It should be a time of reflecting on the past to
search for ways of straightening the path to a more just
future for people of all colours.
Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, black men and women across
North America risked their jobs, their homes and indeed
their lives, to make a better world for future generations.
Today in Nova Scotia, black and white people are the
beneficiaries of their courage. We must ensure the progress
of history continues. Our government remains determined to
continue to beat down the walls of intolerance and
misunderstanding that stand in the way of progress for all
Nova Scotians.
Educating the young, arming them with the courage to reject
stereotyping and racism can be the most powerful weapon in
the war against racism. Our government's anti-racism policy
extends from the classroom to the boardrooms of power.
Children are now taught to examine the content of character
and reject those who refuse to look beyond the colour of
skin. Provincial public servants are trained in race
relations and the benefits of employment equity. The Black
Business Initiative is helping to reduce the number of black
Nova Scotians who are without the dignity of a job. We are
determined to be a government that is a shaft of light,
splitting the darkness leading all Nova Scotians to a
brighter, more equitable future.
Black Nova Scotians are beginning to take their rightful
places at the tables where decisions are made. The time has
come for more blacks to step forward and become more
involved in community groups, municipal, provincial and
federal arenas.
History is made by those who participate in the great
decisions and take the big risks. We ask every Black Nova
Scotian to use this month as a time to decide how they can
do their share to improve their community and their
province. The result could be that in future years, during
future African Heritage Months, we can look back and say
1996 was a year of acceleration on the journey to a better
tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Premier John Savage
Environment Minister Wayne Adams
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jlw Jan. 26, 1996 6:30 p.m.